Heavy equipment hazard warning apparatus and system and method for use of same

ABSTRACT

A heavy equipment hazard warning apparatus for a piece of heavy equipment at a site and a system and method for use of the same are disclosed. In one embodiment of the heavy equipment hazard warning apparatus, the location of the heavy equipment is monitored by the heavy equipment warning apparatus and analyzed with reference to a hazard safety site plan of the site that identifies a hazard such as existing utilities, for example. An alert notification is initialized in response to the heavy equipment encroaching on a hazard geofence around the hazard. A shutdown notification is initialized in response to the heavy equipment being proximate to the hazard.

PRIORITY STATEMENT & CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.16/585,781 entitled “Heavy Equipment Hazard Warning Apparatus and Systemand Method for Use of Same” filed on Sep. 27, 2019, in the name of JimD. Wiethorn, now U.S. Pat. No. 11,214,944 issued on Jan. 4, 2022; whichclaims priority from U.S. Patent Application No. 62/899,593, entitled“Heavy Equipment Hazard Warning Apparatus and System and Method for Useof Same” and filed on Sep. 12, 2019, in the name of Jim D. Wiethorn;both of which are hereby incorporated by reference, in entirety, for allpurposes.

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates, in general, to heavy equipment and, inparticular, to a heavy equipment hazard warning apparatus and a systemand method for use of the same for earthwork equipment, constructionequipment, and the like, that enables crane owners, operators, andmanufacturers to provide a means to evaluate potential known hazards,such as existing utilities at a site, to avoid catastrophic events andprotect workers.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Without limiting the scope of the invention, the background will bedescribed with reference to crane accidents, as an example. Craneaccidents and operational issues are very dramatic and very visible,often resulting in viral videos and media attention. Worse, craneaccidents may cause property damage, injury, and even death. Craneaccident research data, consensus national standards and state and localmunicipalities prescribe certain safety practices and equipment toenable safe operating procedures. Identifying and avoiding hazards suchas existing utilities like overhead power lines is critical to ensuringsafe crane operation. There is a continued need for improved systems andmethods to identify and avoid hazards such as existing utilities.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It would be advantageous to mitigate the risks of operating heavyequipment such as earthwork equipment and construction equipment. Itwould also be desirable to enable a computer-based and mechanical-basedsolution that is easily and quickly deployed without the need for acomplex technical analysis. To better address one or more of theseconcerns, a heavy equipment hazard warning apparatus for a piece ofheavy equipment at a site and a system and method for use of the sameare disclosed. In one embodiment of the heavy equipment hazard warningapparatus, the location of the heavy equipment is monitored by the heavyequipment warning apparatus and analyzed with reference to a hazardsafety site plan of the site that identifies a hazard such as existingutilities, for example. An alert notification is initialized in responseto the heavy equipment encroaching on a hazard geofence around thehazard. A shutdown notification is initialized in response to the heavyequipment being proximate to the hazard. This heavy equipment hazardwarning apparatus, along with the system and method and other aspects ofthe invention will be apparent from and elucidated with reference to theembodiments described hereinafter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a more complete understanding of the features and advantages of thepresent invention, reference is now made to the detailed description ofthe invention along with the accompanying figures in which correspondingnumerals in the different figures refer to corresponding parts and inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram depicting one embodiment of a systemutilizing heavy equipment hazard warning apparatuses on multiple piecesof heavy equipment, according to the teachings presented herein;

FIG. 2A is a computer generated view of a site plan of a site where thesystem will be practiced, according to the teachings presented herein;

FIG. 2B is a computer generated view of an enhanced site plan of thesite where the system will be practiced, according to the teachingspresented herein;

FIG. 2C is a computer generated view of a further enhanced site plan ofthe site where the system will be practiced, according to the teachingspresented herein;

FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram depicting one embodiment of theheavy equipment hazard warning apparatus shown FIG. 1, according to theteachings presented herein;

FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram depicting one embodiment of a smartdevice shown in FIG. 1, which may form a portion of the system;

FIG. 5 is a functional block diagram depicting one embodiment of aserver shown in FIG. 1, which may form a portion of the system;

FIG. 6 is a conceptual module diagram depicting a software architectureof a hazard safety application of some embodiments; and

FIG. 7 is a flowchart depicting one embodiment of a method utilizing aheavy equipment hazard warning apparatus on a piece of heavy equipment,according to the teachings presented herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

While the making and using of various embodiments of the presentinvention are discussed in detail below, it should be appreciated thatthe present invention provides many applicable inventive concepts, whichcan be embodied in a wide variety of specific contexts. The specificembodiments discussed herein are merely illustrative of several specificways to make and use the invention, and do not delimit the scope of thepresent invention.

Referring initially to FIG. 1, therein is depicted one embodiment of asystem for providing hazard safety that is schematically illustrated andgenerally labeled 10. Heavy equipment shown as a crawler crane 12 and anexcavator 14 are positioned at a site which is shown as a job site at afield F having a hazard in the form of an existing utility, overheadpower lines P. It should be appreciated that although a crawler craneand an excavator are depicted, the teachings presented herein work withany type of heavy equipment such as earthwork equipment or constructionequipment, for example. By way of further example and not by way oflimitation, the heavy equipment may be a piece of equipment such as adrilling rig, crane, crawler crane, tower crane, concrete pump, dumptruck, aerial lift, scissor lift, high reach equipment, forklift,scissor lift truck, track hoe, back hoe, excavator, and large ditchingmachine.

As shown, the crawler crane 12 includes a crane body 16 having a boom 18mounted thereto so as to be hoisted and lowered. Additionally, a lowerundercarriage 20 with a set of parallel tracks 22 having endless treads24 provide stability and mobility to the crawler crane 12. A winch 26 isalso secured to the crane body 16 to drive the boom 18 to be hoisted andlowered through a gantry 28 and boom hoist assembly 30. A hoist cable 32is drawn out of the winch 26 along the boom 18 and is suspended from theextreme end of the boom 18 to suspend a hook 34 suspended by manycables. By the hoist means constituted as described above, the mainwinding and hoisting work for raising and lowering mainly a very heavyload L, depicted as beams, at a low speed with each lift and loweringbeing a lift cycle. Safety features, such as a siren 36 mounted on thetop of the crane body 16, provide various notifications and precautionsto improve safety when the crane 12 is too close to a hazard, such as autility represented by the overhead power lines P at the field F. Itshould be appreciated, however, that although the overhead power lines Pare presented as an example of a utility, the utility may include autility such as electrical, gas, water cable or telecommunications, forexample and the accompanying infrastructure such as electrical powerinfrastructure, gas infrastructure, water infrastructure, cableinfrastructure, and telecommunications infrastructure, for example.

A load moment indicator 38 is secured to the crawler crane 12 to monitorcrane functions to provide an operator of the crawler crane 12 with acontinuous reading of a rated capacity of the crawler crane 12 as thecrawler crane 12 and the boom 18 move through motions to make a lift ofthe load L to complete a lift cycle. The severity of a load cycle isbased on the relationship of the load weight to the allowable loadpermitted by the load chart and expressed as a percent capacity. A heavyequipment hazard warning apparatus 50 having a housing 52 may be locatedintegral with the crawler crane 12 and may be located in communicationwith the load moment indicator 38. As will be discussed in furtherdetail hereinbelow, the heavy equipment hazard warning apparatus 50collects heavy equipment data, such as vehicle operating information,for monitoring and reporting purposes, as well as monitors the locationof the crawler crane 12 to ensure that that the crawler crane 12 doesnot encroach upon and contact the overhead power lines P. In oneimplementation, the heavy equipment hazard warning apparatus 50 may atleast partially integrated with the load moment indicator 38 or a cranerisk logic apparatus, as described in U.S. patent application Ser. No.16/555,117 entitled, “Crane Risk Logic Apparatus and System and Methodfor Use of Same” and filed on Aug. 29, 2019 in the name of Jim D.Wiethorn, which is hereby incorporated by reference for all purposes.

The excavator 14 includes a lower undercarriage 64 with a set ofparallel tracks 66 having endless treads 68 which provide stability andmobility to the excavator 14. The lower undercarriage 64 supports a body70 with a turning joint 72 being interposed between the lowerundercarriage 64 and the body 70. A boom 74 is balanced by acounterweight 76 and the boom 74 supports a bucket 78 under the controlof the bucket cylinder 80. A warning device 82 with a light and siren ispositioned on the body 70. A heavy equipment hazard warning apparatus100, having a housing 102, is located integral with the excavator 14. Aswill be discussed in further detail hereinbelow, the heavy equipmenthazard warning apparatus 100 collects heavy equipment data formonitoring and reporting purposes, as well as monitors the location ofthe excavator 14 to ensure that that the excavator 14 does not encroachupon and contact the overhead power lines P.

A smart device 110 is located in the field F proximate the crawler crane12 and the excavator 14. As shown, the smart device 110 is beingutilized by an operator O. In one embodiment, the smart device 110 isutilized to create a hazard safety plan 116 of the job site at the fieldF prior to the arrival or use of the crawler crane 12 and the excavator14. As will be discussed in further detail hereinbelow, the hazardsafety plan 116 is a site plan of the site, which is the field F,augmented with locationing information for a hazard with a geofencetherearound. As mentioned, the hazard is the overhead power lines P.Once the hazard safety plan 116 is complete, the hazard safety plan 116is provided to each of the heavy equipment hazard warning apparatuses50, 100 respectively associated with the crawler crane 12 and theexcavator 14. Using the geolocationing functionality, each of the hazardwarning apparatuses 50, 100 may provide a warning if the respectivecrawler crane 12 or the excavator 14 encroaches too close to theoverhead power lines P. The warning may be audio and/or visual and beprovided by the warning device 36 of the crawler crane 12 or the warningdevice 82 of the excavator 14. The warning device 36 and the warningdevice 82 may be types of audiovisual alert devices associated with theheavy equipment, which may also include sirens, warning lights,instrument panels, and displays, for example. Further, using thegeolocationing functionality, each of the hazard warning apparatuses 50,100 may initialize at least a partial shutdown of the respective crawlercrane 12 or the excavator 14 if the respective crawler crane 12 or theexcavator 14 is about to make contact with the overhead power lines P.In the instance of a shutdown being implemented, the audiovisualwarnings may have been ignored. Also, in one embodiment, the smartdevice 110 forms a pairing, such as pairing 112 or pairing 114, with oneor each of the heavy equipment apparatuses 50, 100 in order tofacilitate monitoring and reporting purposes, maintain the location ofthe crawler crane 12 or excavator 14, and, in particular, monitor thelocation of the crawler crane 12 or excavator 14 with respect to theoverhead power lines P.

As shown, a hazard safety server 120 having a housing 122 and access toa hazard safety database 124 provides an interface and functionality tothe field F, including the heavy equipment hazard warning apparatus 50associated with the crawler crane 12 and the heavy equipment hazardwarning apparatus 100 associated with the excavator 14. An off-siteowner 126 is located in communication with the services offered by thecloud C. The off-site owner 126 may run various reports 128 to givevisibility into how the crawler crane 12 or the excavator 14 are beingoperated in the field F. This can also identify any potential hazardousoperations or abuse.

In one implementation, the on-site operator O at the field F utilizesthe smart device 110 as part of a daily inspection program, wherein thesmart device 110 offers an application that serves as a guide forconducting the daily inspection. As mentioned, the smart device 110located in the cab may also be used by the operator O to facilitatemonitoring and reporting purposes and maintain the location of heavyequipment. The smart device 110 transmits data to the cloud C that canbe monitored by multiple parties. As previously mentioned, the smartdevice 110 is paired with each of the heavy equipment hazard warningapparatus 50 at crawler crane 12 and the heavy equipment hazard warningapparatus 100 at the excavator 14. The smart device 110 is also incommunication with the services offered by the cloud C. As shown, theoperator O is utilizing the smart device 110 to monitor the operation ofthe heavy equipment and receive warnings, such as audio warning 130 andvisual warning 132 about a piece of heavy equipment being too close to ahazard such as the overhead power lines P. In one embodiment, thefunctionality of the smart device 110 may be incorporated into the heavyequipment hazard warning apparatuses 50, 100, or, alternatively, theheavy equipment hazard warning apparatuses 50, 100 may include displaysand audiovisual functionality. In one implementation, warnings mayescalate as the distance between the hazard and heavy equipmentdecreases. As mentioned, the notifications and warnings generated by theheavy equipment apparatuses 50, 100 or the smart device 110 may includenotifications to the smart device 110, such as alerts 130, 132, ornotifications and warnings through the safety features 36 of the crawlercrane 12 or the safety features 82 of the excavator 14.

With respect to the daily inspection, as part of a safety protocol, eachitem that is reviewed and checked is submitted to the hazard safetyserver 120 and the hazard safety database 124 prior to obtaining anynecessary signatures to begin operation. Any deficiencies may be sent tothe off-site owner 126 for maintenance once the crane 12 returns. In theevent that a condition exists that is considered a safety issue, thenthe off-site owner 126 may send a mechanic or change out the crane 12 ortake other necessary action.

Once the inspection is complete and the information forwarded from thesmart device 110 to the hazard safety server 120 to the off-site owner126, the operator O will have all of the information gathered from notonly the field F, but the office as well. Such information may includeany special requirements, such as use of riggers, signal person, or alift director. The operator O may confirm each item with the person incharge and have the appropriate ticket signed on the smart device 110which confirms the start time for the job ticket and otherconfirmations. Obtaining signatures is too often difficult or not done,which causes significant litigation concerns. In one embodiment, each ofthe heavy equipment hazard warning apparatuses 50, 100 provide anoverride connection with a governor to the respective pieces of heavyequipment that prevents operation until the ticket is signed and sent tothe office to start operations. A second signature may be required whenthe project is finished. Once the final signature is obtained, theoperator O may send the completed electronic document to the office andan invoice or time sheet for the day will be produced.

Referring to FIG. 2A, one embodiment of a computer generated view 140 ofa site plan of the field F is depicted. The computer generated view 140may be embodied on the smart device 110. The location of an existingstructure 142 and the planned structure 144 are shown. Also, thelocation of existing power line poles 146 is included in the site plan.Once an operator arrives at the site, the operator identifies anyhazards, which in the illustrated case include the overhead power linesP. The operator reviews the location of the existing powerline poles 146using any geolocation information embedded in the computer-generatedview 140 of the site plan and the geolocationing functionality of thesmart device 110. The operator then augments the site plan with thelocation of the overhead power lines 148 using the geolocationingfunctionality of the smart device 110.

Referring now to FIG. 2B, with reference to a computer-generated view150, the operator using the hazard safety application determines ahazard geofence 152, which is a virtual boundary around the hazard,defining an area of encroachment 154. The hazard geofence 152 may be adistance such as 10 feet (3 meters), 15 feet (4.5 meters), or 20 feet (6meters).

Referring now to FIG. 2C, with reference to the computer-generated view158, the hazard safety application tracks the location of the heavyequipment as shown by tracking icon 156. The hazard safety applicationinitializes an alert notification in response to the heavy equipmentencroaching on the hazard geofence 152. The hazard safety applicationmay also initialize a shutdown notification to the heavy equipment inresponse to the heavy equipment being proximate to the hazard.

Referring now to FIG. 3, within the housing 52, in one embodiment of theheavy equipment hazard warning apparatus 50, a processor 170, memory172, storage 174, and one or more transceivers 176 are interconnected bya bus architecture 178 within a mounting architecture that supports anoverride output 180, audiovisual alert outputs 182, inputs 184, outputs186, a display 188, and a Global Positioning System (GPS) unit 190. Itshould be understood that the processor 170, the memory 172, the storage174, the inputs 184, the outputs 186, the display 188, and the GPS 190may be entirely contained within the housing 52 or a housing-smartdevice combination leveraging the smart device 110. The processor 170may process instructions for execution within the computing device,including instructions stored in the memory 172 or in the storage 174.The memory 172 stores information within the computing device. In oneimplementation, the memory 172 is a volatile memory unit or units. Inanother implementation, the memory 172 is a non-volatile memory unit orunits. The storage 174 provides capacity that is capable of providingmass storage for the heavy equipment hazard warning apparatus 50. Thevarious inputs 184 and outputs 186 provide connections to and from thecomputing device, wherein the inputs 184 are the signals or datareceived by the heavy equipment hazard warning apparatus 50, and theoutputs 186 are the signals or data sent from the heavy equipment hazardwarning apparatus 50.

The one or more transceivers 176 are associated with the heavy equipmenthazard warning apparatus 50 and communicatively disposed with the bus178. As shown, the transceiver 176 may be internal, external, or acombination thereof to the housing. Further, the transceiver 176 may bea transmitter/receiver, receiver, or an antenna for example.

Communication between various devices and the heavy equipment hazardwarning apparatus 50 may be enabled by a variety of wirelessmethodologies employed by the transceiver 176, including 802.11, 3G, 4G,Edge, WiFi, ZigBee, near field communications (NFC), Bluetooth lowenergy and Bluetooth, for example. The display 188 provides anelectronic device for the visual display of information. The GPS unit190 accesses a global navigation satellite system that uses a receiverand algorithms to provide location, velocity and time synchronization toprovide locationing information for the GPS unit 190, and, in turn, theheavy equipment hazard warning apparatus 50 and the crawler crane 12.The override output 180 provides the interface to the heavy equipment toat least partially shut down the heavy equipment if the heavy equipmentis too close to a hazard. The audiovisual alert outputs 182 provide theinterfaces to the heavy equipment to actuate various audio and visualnotifications, including alerts that may be relevant to the location ofthe heavy equipment. It should be appreciated that although onearchitecture of the heavy equipment hazard warning apparatus 50 isprovided, other architectures are within the teachings presented herein.Further, it should be appreciated that the heavy equipment hazardwarning apparatus 100 is similar in structure and function to the heavyequipment hazard warning apparatus 50.

The memory 172 and the storage 174 are accessible to the processor 170and include processor-executable instructions that, when executed, causethe processor 170 to execute a series of operations. In one embodimentof processor-executable instructions, when executed, cause the processor170 to receive a hazard safety site plan of the site. As mentioned, thehazard safety site plan may be a site plan of the site augmented withlocationing information for a hazard with a hazard geofence therearound.The processor-executable instructions also cause the processor 170 tomonitor the location of the heavy equipment with the global positioningsystem unit 190. In one implementation, the processor-executableinstructions are caused to provide a visual of the hazard site plant toan operator of the heavy equipment via one of the outputs 186. Theprocessor 170 is then caused to analyze the location of the heavyequipment with respect to the hazard safety site plan. Theprocessor-executable instructions cause the processor 170 to initializean alert notification via the audiovisual alert outputs 182 or outputs186 at the heavy equipment in response to the heavy equipmentencroaching on the hazard geofence. The processor-executableinstructions cause the processor 170 to initialize a shutdownnotification via the override output 180 at the heavy equipment inresponse to the heavy equipment being proximate to the hazard. Inanother embodiment of processor-executable instructions, when executed,cause the processor 170 to capture and store the heavy equipment datafor analysis in an event of an incident occurring.

Referring now to FIG. 4, the smart device 110 may be a wirelesscommunication device of the type including various fixed, mobile, and/orportable devices. To expand rather than limit the discussion of thesmart device 110, such devices may include, but are not limited to,cellular or mobile smart telephones, tablet computers, smartwatches, andso forth. The smart device 110 may include a processor 200, memory 202,storage 204, a transceiver 206, and a cellular antenna 208interconnected by a busing architecture 210 that also supports a display212, I/O panel 214, and a camera 216. It should be appreciated thatalthough a particular architecture is explained, other designs andlayouts are within the teachings presented herein.

In operation, the teachings presented herein permit the smart device 110such as a smart tablet to create the hazard safety site plan, facilitatemonitoring and reporting, and maintain the location of any heavyequipment at the site. As shown, the smart device 110 includes thememory 202 accessible to the processor 200 and the memory 202 includesprocessor-executable instructions that, when executed, cause theprocessor 200 to provide an interface for an operator that includes aninteractive application for mapping one or more hazards at the site. Theprocessor 200 is caused to load a site plan of the site. The processor200 is then caused to prompt the operator to locate all hazards whichmay be located at the site. The operator utilizes the GPS functionalityof the smart device 110 to document the location of the hazards byaugmenting data to the site plan. By way of example and not by way oflimitation, overhead power lines are documented by identifying thesupport poles and then by the operator interfacing with the smartdevice, augmenting the site plan with the overhead power lines byappropriately connecting the support poles to indicate overhead powerlines. In one implementation, connecting the support poles to indicateoverhead power lines may be achieved with the use of a stylus, forexample. The processor 200 is then caused to designate a hazard geofencearound the hazard. The hazard geofence may be a virtual boundary aroundthe hazard. As mentioned, the hazard geofence may be a distance such as10 feet (3 meters), 15 feet (4.5 meters), or 20 feet (6 meters).

As shown, the smart device 110 includes the memory 202 accessible to theprocessor 200 and the memory 202 includes processor-executableinstructions that, when executed, cause the processor 200 to form apairing with one or more of the heavy equipment hazard warningapparatuses 50, 100. The processor-executable instructions may functionto further many of the processes discussed with respect to the heavyequipment hazard warning apparatuses 50, 100. By way of example, theprocessor 200 is caused to receive the heavy equipment data and forwardthe heavy equipment data to the cloud C.

In a still further embodiment of processor-executable instructions, theprocessor-executable instructions cause the processor 200 to provide aninterface for an operator. The processor-executable instructions thencause the processor 200 to access data and resources at the hazardsafety server 120 and the hazard safety database 124. The processor 200is then caused to generate various reports. The processor-executableinstructions may also cause the processor 200 to run an operationalinterface program that ensures the safe operation of the heavyequipment. The processor-executable instructions may also cause theprocessor 200 to operate an override connection with a governor of theheavy equipment that prevents operation until a ticket is signed andsent to the office to start operations. In one embodiment, following anoccurrence of an incident, the processor-executable instructions cause asignal to be sent to the cloud C so that information and the data storedat the hazard safety database 124 about the heavy equipment is lockedand only accessible by designated parties.

Referring now to FIG. 5, one embodiment of the server 120 as a computingdevice includes, within the housing 122, a processor 220, memory 222,and storage 224 interconnected with various buses 226 in a common ordistributed, for example, mounting architecture that also supportsinputs 228, outputs 230, and network interface 232. In otherimplementations, in the computing device, multiple processors and/ormultiple buses may be used, as appropriate, along with multiple memoriesand types of memory. Further still, in other implementations, multiplecomputing devices may be provided and operations distributedtherebetween. The processor 220 may process instructions for executionwithin the server 120, including instructions stored in the memory 222or in storage 224. The memory 222 stores information within thecomputing device. In one implementation, the memory 222 is a volatilememory unit or units. In another implementation, the memory 222 is anon-volatile memory unit or units. Storage 224 includes capacity that iscapable of providing mass storage for the server 120, including hazardsafety database storage capacity. Various inputs 228 and outputs 230provide connections to and from the server 120, wherein the inputs 228are the signals or data received by the server 120, and the outputs 230are the signals or data sent from the server 120. The network interface232 provides the necessary device controller to connect the server 120to one or more networks.

The memory 222 is accessible to the processor 220 and includesprocessor-executable instructions that, when executed, cause theprocessor 220 to execute a series of operations. Theprocessor-executable instructions cause the processor 220 to provide aninterface for an off-site heavy equipment owner. Theprocessor-executable instructions also cause the processor 220 tomaintain the hazard safety database 124 in the storage 224. Asdiscussed, the hazard safety database 124 may include information aboutthe heavy equipment owner, a heavy equipment operator of the heavyequipment, and job information. The processor 220 is caused to receivethe heavy equipment data from the heavy equipment apparatus 50 and/orsmart device 110 and append the heavy equipment data to the heavyequipment database 124. In one embodiment, following the receipt of asignal from the heavy equipment apparatus 50 and/or smart device 110that an incident has occurred, the information and the data stored atthe heavy equipment database 124 about the heavy equipment is locked andonly accessible by designated parties. Further, the processor 220 iscaused to issue reports based on the heavy equipment data in the hazardsafety database 124.

FIG. 6 conceptually illustrates the software architecture of a hazardsafety application 250 of some embodiments that may render information,such as the report 128, and notifications, such as the alerts 130, 132.In some embodiments, the hazard safety application 250 is a stand-aloneapplication or is integrated into another application, while in otherembodiments the application might be implemented within an operatingsystem 280. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the hazard safetyapplication 250 is provided as part of a server-based solution or acloud-based solution. In some such embodiments, the application isprovided via a thin client. That is, the application runs on a serverwhile a user interacts with the application via a separate machineremote from the server. In other such embodiments, the application isprovided via a thick client. That is, the application is distributedfrom the server to the client machine and runs on the client machine.

The hazard safety application 250 includes a user interface (UI)interaction and generation module 252, management (user) interface tools254, graphics data tools 256, geolocationing tools 258, report modules260, notification/alert modules 262, database module 264, operatormodule 266, and an owner module 268. The hazard safety application 250has access to the hazard safety database 124, which in one embodiment,may include pre-existing site data 270, acquired site data 272,equipment data 274, hazard data 276, and presentation instructions 278,which presents instructions for the operation of the hazard safetyapplication 250. In some embodiments, storages 270, 272, 274, 276, 278are all stored in one physical storage. In other embodiments, thestorages 270, 272, 274, 276, 278 are in separate physical storages, orone of the storages is in one physical storage while the other is in adifferent physical storage.

The hazard safety database 124, in one implementation, provides adatabase of all pertinent information required for a site, hazards,heavy equipment and historical information of the heavy equipment,owner, and operator. The pre-existing site data 270 may include all theinformation of the operator assigned to the heavy equipment and sitesuch as all experience and particularly certification documentation witha date of expiration. Recent “operator evaluation forms” may beincluded. The hazard safety server 120 may track the life and expirationof such forms and certificates to provide notifications prior toexpiration when renewal is required. The pre-existing site data 270 mayalso include information about job assignments, including having inputdata on specific questions based on limitation containment in accordancewith applicable local, state, and national standards. Such job inputinformation may also include the job ticket specifying a job number andjob name assignment. An operator may be assigned to a job number and jobname assignment and the smart device being utilized by the operator maybe employed to answer a series of questions concerning the need forriggers, signal person, and/or lift director. Such information may beprovided with a confirmation mechanism. The job input information mayalso include a description of the load, load weight and load radius, forexample. The UI interaction and generation module 252 generates a userinterface that allows the end user to specify parameters that may beutilized to generate various reports and notifications.

The pre-existing site data 270 may also include any site plans which maybe any type of architectural plan, landscape architecture document, or adetailed engineering drawing of proposed improvements to a given lot. Asite plan usually shows a building footprint, travel ways, parking,drainage facilities, sanitary sewer lines, water lines, trails,lighting, landscaping and garden elements, as well as other utilities.The site plan may be provided in a CAD format or other format and mayinclude geolocationing information therein. In one implementation, thesite plan may include a computerized representation, such as acomputerized grid, of the utilities at the location. Utility operatorsmay adopt GPS mapping and locating technology to provide the ability tostore and retrieve accurate location information nearly instantaneouslyregarding utilities. Such information may be used as part of the siteplans. Furthermore, any observed inconsistencies or changes to thelocation information can be updated to continuously improve the qualityand accuracy of the buried or above-ground infrastructure location data,including any verification notes created on-site as part of acquiredsite data 272 using the teachings presented herein. The acquired sitedata 272 may include information and data that is augmented to thepre-existing site data 270. Such information and data may includegeolocationing data on hazards such as utilities to further improve thesite data stored in the pre-existing site data 270.

The equipment data 274 may be all information concerning the type, make,model, and manufacturer of the heavy equipment as well as the date ofmanufacture. A copy of a current annual inspection/certification of theheavy equipment, a copy of all maintenance records, and documentation ofthe purchase of the heavy equipment, including current ownershipinformation, may be included in the equipment data 274. The hazard data276 may include all information about the utility including location,maintenance records, and safety information, for example. Thepresentation instructions 278 may include information and data thatpermits a user to utilize the hazard safety application 250 and navigatethe features therein.

Once the parameters have been established for the generation of reportsby default or by an end user utilizing the management (user) interfacetools 254, the graphics data tools 256 operate on the site plan or othervector graphics data files with texture identifiers or two or threedimensional map image files specified in one or more map tiles that maybe raster-based map tiles, for example. The graphics data tools 256create the augmented data for the site plan to make the virtual model ofthe physical body of the hazard or hazards based on definitions derivedfrom any GIS resources, such as a geodatabase, address location mapdocument or geoprocessing model, or any two- or three-dimensionalCAD-based drawings and plans. The geolocationing tools 258 interfacewith the geolocationing data embedded in the site plan and thegeolocationing data provided on-site by the smart device, for example.This geolocationing information supports the graphics data tools 256 andthe augmentation of the site plan. The report modules 260 may beexecuted to containerize and annotate the data elements to generate therequired report or reports. The report modules 260 may also assist aninvestigator or owner in the event of incident occurring. The cloud Cand, in particular, the heavy equipment database 124 captures and storesall data, which can be used to generate various reports following anincident. In one implementation, following an incident, all of the datastored in the cloud C may be locked and only accessible by designatedparties. Additionally, by way of example, the reports modules 260 maygenerate crane usage reports that allow an owner to determine actualhours of use for financial evaluation of each crane. By way of furtherexample, the report modules 260 may also provide detailed records aboutthe service times and hours of each crane. Such records may be an assetfor insurances purposes and stored at a main office of the owner.

The notification/alert modules 262 may be executed to providenotifications of varying levels of urgency to the off-site owner 126 orthe operator O at the field F, for example. The notifications and alertsmay be hazard related, as previously discussed, or job-site related orheavy equipment-related, for example. The database module 264 may beexecuted to obtain data from the hazard safety database 124. Theoperator module 266 provides the necessary interface or interfaces forthe operator of the crane and, similarly, the owner module 268 providesthe necessary interface or interfaces for the owner of the crane.

In the illustrated embodiment, FIG. 6 also includes an operating system280 that includes input device driver(s) 282 and a display module 284.In some embodiments, as illustrated, the input device drivers 282 anddisplay module 284 are part of the operating system 280 even when thehazard safety application 250 is an application separate from theoperating system 280. The input device drivers 282 may include driversfor translating signals from a keyboard, mouse, touchpad, tablet, touchscreen, gyroscope or accelerometer, for example. A user may use one ormore of these input devices 282, which send signals to theircorresponding device driver, in combination with the display module 284to interact with the hazard safety application 250. The device driverthen translates the signals into user input data that is provided to theUI interaction and generation module 252.

More particularly, use of heavy equipment in congested urban areas andhighly volatile refinery operations restricts the capability of theoperator to move without contacting a hazard such as a utility. Thesystems and methods presented herein meet the need for a specializedmechanism that provides additional knowledge about overturning bymonitoring LMI data and crane data. Further, the systems and methodspresented herein provide time, by actively monitoring heavy equipmentlocation and the location of hazards, to provide an alert and prevent anaccident.

Referring to FIG. 7, one embodiment of a method for utilizing a heavyequipment hazard warning apparatus and providing hazard safety is shown.The methodology starts at block 300 with a smart device on-site todocument the hazards, such as utilities at the site. At block 302, asite plan is acquired before identifying the hazards at block 304. Atblock 306, the hazards are mapped on the site plan and then hazard zonesin the form of hazard geofences are established at block 308. The hazardsafety site plan is then published at block 310. At block 312, heavyequipment with a heavy equipment warning apparatus enters the site. Theheavy equipment warning apparatus includes the hazard safety plan loadedthereon. At block 314, as the heavy equipment operates, a GPS unitassociated with the heavy equipment hazard warning apparatus determinesthe location of the heavy equipment at the site. In one embodiment, avisual of the hazard site plan is provided to the operator in the heavyequipment or an operator on-site to further safety.

At decision block 316, if the heavy equipment is not encroaching on thehazard zone then the methodology returns to block 314. On the otherhand, if the heavy equipment is encroaching on the hazard zone then themethodology continues to decision block 318. If there is stillsufficient distance between the heavy equipment and the hazards then anoverride is not required and at block 320, the methodology activates anaudiovisual warning about the encroachment, which may include an audioalert or visual alert or both, prior to returning to block 314. If,however, an override is necessary due to the distance between the heavyequipment and the hazard then at block 322 an override is activated andthe heavy equipment is at least partially shut down to prevent anaccident from occurring. At block 324, the methodology concludes.

In the event an accident occurs, the operator of the heavy equipmenthazard warning apparatus may activate an incident button thatimmediately stores all current data accumulated during operations to arestricted port in the cloud. The heavy equipment data can be retrievedand concise information is available for determining causation.

The order of execution or performance of the methods and techniquesillustrated and described herein is not essential, unless otherwisespecified. That is, elements of the methods and techniques may beperformed in any order, unless otherwise specified, and that the methodsmay include more or less elements than those disclosed herein. Forexample, it is contemplated that executing or performing a particularelement before, contemporaneously with, or after another element are allpossible sequences of execution.

While this invention has been described with reference to illustrativeembodiments, this description is not intended to be construed in alimiting sense. Various modifications and combinations of theillustrative embodiments as well as other embodiments of the invention,will be apparent to persons skilled in the art upon reference to thedescription. It is, therefore, intended that the appended claimsencompass any such modifications or embodiments.

What is claimed is:
 1. A heavy equipment hazard warning system, thesystem comprising: a programming interface being configured tocommunicate with a heavy equipment hazard warning apparatus located on apiece of heavy equipment at a site, the heavy equipment hazard warningapparatus having a processor, non-transitory memory, a globalpositioning system unit communicatively interconnected in a busingarchitecture; and the non-transitory memory being accessible to theprocessor, the non-transitory memory including processor-executableinstructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the system to:receive a hazard safety site plan of the site, the hazard safety siteplan being a site plan of the site augmented with locationinginformation for a hazard with a hazard geofence therearound, the hazardgeofence being a virtual boundary around the hazard, monitor, withoutdata interaction with the hazard, a location of the heavy equipment withthe global positioning system unit, analyze, without data interactionwith the hazard, the location of the heavy equipment with respect to thehazard safety site plan, and initialize, without data interaction withthe hazard, an alert notification at the heavy equipment in response tothe heavy equipment encroaching on the hazard geofence.
 2. The system asrecited in claim 1, wherein the heavy equipment hazard warning apparatusfurther comprises an audiovisual alert output, an override output, and awireless transceiver thereat, the audiovisual alert output beingdisposed in communication with an audiovisual alert device associatedwith the heavy equipment, the override output being disposed incommunication to an override associated with the heavy equipment, theoverride at least partially causing an equipment shutdown of the heavyequipment.
 3. The system as recited in claim 2, wherein theprocessor-executable instructions further comprise instructions that,when executed by the processor, cause the system to initialize, withoutdata interaction with the hazard, the alert notification via theaudiovisual alert output at the heavy equipment in response to the heavyequipment encroaching on the hazard geofence.
 4. The system as recitedin claim 3, wherein the audiovisual alert output further comprises anaudible alert at the heavy equipment.
 5. The system as recited in claim3, wherein the audiovisual alert output further comprises a visual alertat the heavy equipment.
 6. The system as recited in claim 2, wherein theprocessor-executable instructions further comprise instructions that,when executed by the processor, cause the system to initialize, withoutdata interaction with the hazard, a shutdown notification via theoverride output at the heavy equipment in response to the heavyequipment being proximate to the hazard.
 7. The system as recited inclaim 2, wherein the audiovisual alert device associated with the heavyequipment further comprises a device selected from the group consistingof sirens, warning lights, instrument panels, and displays.
 8. Thesystem as recited in claim 1, wherein the heavy equipment furthercomprises a piece of equipment selected from the group consisting ofearthwork equipment, construction equipment, drilling rigs, cranes,concrete pumps, dump trucks, aerial lifts, scissor lifts, high reachequipment, forklifts, scissor lift trucks, track hoes, back hoes, andlarge ditching machines.
 9. The system as recited in claim 1, whereinthe hazard safety site plan further comprises a plan created by anoperator interacting with the site, the operator having a smart deviceand an application thereat for building the hazard geofence using thesite plan with at least one hazard documented therein.
 10. The system asrecited in claim 1, wherein the hazard further comprises an existingutility at the site.
 11. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein thehazard further comprises an infrastructure selected from the groupconsisting of electrical power infrastructure, gas infrastructure, waterinfrastructure, cable infrastructure, and telecommunicationsinfrastructure.
 12. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the hazardfurther comprises overhead power lines.
 13. The system as recited inclaim 1, wherein the heavy equipment hazard warning apparatus furthercomprises a pairing with a proximate smart device.
 14. The system asrecited in claim 1, wherein the non-transitory memory further includesprocessor-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor,cause the system to capture and store heavy equipment data for analysisin an event of an incident occurring.
 15. The system as recited in claim14, wherein the heavy equipment data further comprises vehicle trackinginformation for the heavy equipment.
 16. The system as recited in claim14, wherein the heavy equipment data further comprises vehicle operatinginformation for the heavy equipment.
 17. The system as recited in claim1, wherein the processor-executable instructions further compriseinstructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the system toprovide a visual of the hazard site plan to an operator of the heavyequipment via an output communicatively interconnected to the busingarchitecture.
 18. A heavy equipment hazard warning system, the systemcomprising: a programming interface being configured to communicate witha heavy equipment hazard warning apparatus located on a piece of heavyequipment at a site, the heavy equipment hazard warning apparatus havinga processor, non-transitory memory, a global positioning system unitcommunicatively interconnected in a busing architecture; and thenon-transitory memory being accessible to the processor, thenon-transitory memory including processor-executable instructions that,when executed by the processor, cause the system to: receive a hazardsafety site plan of the site, the hazard safety site plan being a siteplan of the site augmented with locationing information for a hazardwith a hazard geofence therearound, the hazard geofence being a virtualboundary around the hazard, monitor, without data interaction with thehazard, a location of the heavy equipment with the global positioningsystem unit, analyze, without data interaction with the hazard, thelocation of the heavy equipment with respect to the hazard safety siteplan, and initialize, without data interaction with the hazard, ashutdown notification at the heavy equipment in response to the heavyequipment encroaching on the hazard geofence.
 19. The system as recitedin claim 18, wherein the heavy equipment hazard warning apparatusfurther comprises an audiovisual alert output, an override output, and awireless transceiver thereat, the audiovisual alert output beingdisposed in communication with an audiovisual alert device associatedwith the heavy equipment, the override output being disposed incommunication to an override associated with the heavy equipment, theoverride at least partially causing an equipment shutdown of the heavyequipment.
 20. A heavy equipment hazard warning system, the systemcomprising: a programming interface being configured to communicate witha heavy equipment hazard warning apparatus located on a piece of heavyequipment at a site, the heavy equipment hazard warning apparatus havinga processor, non-transitory memory, a global positioning system unitcommunicatively interconnected in a busing architecture; and thenon-transitory memory being accessible to the processor, thenon-transitory memory including processor-executable instructions that,when executed by the processor, cause the system to: receive a hazardsafety site plan of the site, the hazard safety site plan being a siteplan of the site augmented with locationing information for a hazardwith a hazard geofence therearound, the hazard geofence being a virtualboundary around the hazard, monitor, without data interaction with thehazard, a location of the heavy equipment with the global positioningsystem unit, and initialize, without data interaction with the hazard,an alert notification at the heavy equipment in response to the heavyequipment encroaching on the hazard geofence.